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Philippines
Category 5 Ragasa Typhoon
In the Philippines, the Category 5 Ragasa Typhoon has over 8,200 people evacuating from Cagayan and about 1,220 people fleeing to emergency shelters in Apayao, after a power shortage. This storm has had a deadly impact on the Philippines, taking at least 3 lives. While residents in the country may be adept to mega storms, this super typhoon is the worst one in years. Domestic flights and ferries have been temporarily suspended in the Philippines’ northern provinces. The Philippines Department of the Interior and Local Government has urged residents to heed evacuation warnings as Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. halted government work and closed schools in the capital area of Manila, and 29 provinces in the Luzon region.
This map depicts the recent tropical cyclone Ragasa Typhoon’s impact overview in the Philippines. Click on the map to learn more.
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China-Europe
Arctic Shipping Routes Expand
China has launched the first express container route to Europe via the Arctic, with cargo ship Istanbul Bridge set to sail the Northern Sea Route, an Arctic coastal passage, from Ningbo-Zhoushan to Felixstowe, UK, an 18-day journey requiring ice breaker escort. This is far faster than the roughly 40–50 days via the Suez Canal or around the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, and quicker than the 25-day China-Europe rail service. The new seasonal “China-Europe Arctic Express” is aimed at time-sensitive cargo, with planned calls at major European hubs. Beijing frames the route as part of a broader “Polar Silk Road” push to diversify supply chains, and industry reports say China hopes to enable year-round sailings by 2030. While shorter voyages can cut fuel use and voyage-level CO₂, scientists warn that more traffic in a rapidly warming Arctic raises environmental and safety risks due to harsh conditions and sparse infrastructure.
This map depicts the path of the Arctic Express shipping route, taking advantage of reduced ice in the Arctic Ocean. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Table Media
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Russia
Siberia’s Exploding Craters
Scientists have a new theory to explain Siberia’s giant exploding craters, known to blast soil and ice hundreds of feet in the air. These gas emission craters (GECs) were first spotted in the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas of western Siberia in 2012. There have been a number of theories attempting to explain how these giant holes originated, but none had adequately explained their presence in Siberia, and not in other parts of the Arctic’s frozen soil, or permafrost. This new study links these unique craters to factors unique to the two peninsulas: their vast gas reserves and accelerated warming due to climate change. According to this new theory, these craters form when heat and gas rise from deep underground, with the heat melting the top permafrost seal, making it thinner. The gas rises and builds pressure, while a warming climate thaws the permafrost even more, causing an explosive collapse of the soil, creating a large hole.
This map depicts the locations of permafrost, oil and gas fields, and gas emission craters (GECs). Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Located on a two billion year old plateau, where can you find the world’s highest waterfall?
A: Venezuela
Angel Falls is the highest continuous waterfall in the world. Located in the Guiana Highlands in the southeastern Bolívar state of Venezuela, Angel Falls sits atop the Churún River over the edge of the Auyán-tepui mountain, more than 3,200 ft (979 m) high. The falls are around three times the height of the Eiffel Tower and 15 times higher than Niagara Falls. The falls are situated within the Canaima National Park, which was set up in 1962, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, and is almost the same size as the country of Belgium. Surrounding the falls is dense thick forest with a huge range of exotic wildlife. To get the most optimal views, aerial routes are considered the best way to see Angel Falls.
Source
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Q: Thanks to its volcanic heritage, which famous island is known for its black sand beaches and is home to the only inhabited caldera in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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